In a shocking twist, George Takei is slamming the decision to make John Cho’s Sulu gay in ‘Star Trek Beyond.’ He calls the reveal ‘unfortunate’ and a ‘twisting’ of the ‘Star Trek’ creator’s work.

This was something we didn’t see coming! After it was revealed that Sulu is gay in the Star Trek movie franchise, the openly gay George Takei, 79, who originated the role on the TV series, spoke out against the decision. He’s “delighted” that there is a gay character in the Star Trek universe, but he doesn’t believe it’s what Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry would have wanted.

“I’m delighted that there’s a gay character,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Unfortunately, it’s a twisting of [Star Trek creator] Gene [Roddenberry]’s creation, to which he put in so much thought. I think it’s really unfortunate.”

George stresses that Gene had a clear vision for his Star Trek characters and had always pictured Sulu as heterosexual. George learned that Sulu would be gay in Star Trek Beyond in 2015, when John Cho called him. The 79-year-old actor attempted to convince him to make a new character gay instead of Sulu.

“I told him, ‘Be imaginative and create a character who has a history of being gay, rather than Sulu, who had been straight all this time, suddenly being revealed as being closeted,'” George says.

He later received a call from Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin, who confirmed again that Sulu would be gay in Star Trek Beyond. George begged them to reconsider revealing Sulu is gay in the movie.

“I said, ‘This movie is going to be coming out on the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, the 50th anniversary of paying tribute to Gene Roddenberry, the man whose vision it was carried us through half a century. Honor him and create a new character.’ I urged them. He left me feeling that that was going to happen,” he continues.

HollywoodLifers, what do you think of George’s comments about Sulu? Do you agree? Let us know!